Dairy-free
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Recipe: Kombucha chilcano
This is a healthier twist on the traditional cocktail chilcano de pisco. I use kombucha instead of ginger ale to lower the sugar content. I’m not sure if the alcohol negates the beneficial probiotic effects of the kombucha but it sure tastes great. I used ginger & lime kombucha this time, but any ginger-flavoured kombucha will do.
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Product review: Ferment It
These guys make, you guessed it, fermented products. Their current range includes: beetroot, apple & inca berry; kimchi; lime, mango & chili and the good old sauerkraut. You can buy them fresh OR you can get a bag of dehydrated mix + starter cultures to make your own. Last time I saw them at Eveleigh markets I grabbed a mixed pack for $45. I liked them all and appreciate the variety because certain flavours go better with certain dishes. For example, I like plain sauerkraut with bacon and eggs and kimchi with canned tuna or salmon and avocado. You might expect the fruit-containing ones to be sweet but they are…
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Recipe: Pan con aceitunas
Recently I wrote about craving sandwiches from my childhood. Today’s sandwich is even simpler: it involves only three ingredients but tons of memories. I recommend using botija olives (I’ve bought them in Tierras Latinas, Flemington Markets and Loving Earth in the past) but any flavourful black olive would do. Pro-tip: next time someone you know goes to Perú, tell them to bring some olives (and lúcuma and maca), they’re way more expensive over here. Once again, this sandwich features the high-protein low-carb gluten-free protein bread.
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Recipe: Pork chops and Pardo’s-style salad
Pork chops are pork chops, no explanation required. I don’t have them often because I usually buy cheaper cuts for slow cooking but I had a sudden craving for chops that I couldn’t ignore. Mum used to serve them with rice and applesauce and, if I remember correctly, she would throw in a bit of Peruvian Russian-style salad (beetroot, potato, green beans, peas, apple, avocado, mayo) in the rare occasions she remembered we should eat vegetables, too. I was planning on making the same exact “Russian” salad to go with my chops but laziness struck and I ended with a version closer to one of the salads served in a…
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Product review: Tonicka kombucha
I get excited every time I see a new brand of kombucha popping up because that means I can continue avoiding making my own. The medium size of Tonicka kombucha (330 ml) comes in an elegant dark bottle that made me think of boutique beer. I bought it at Dr Earth for $5.14 (discounted from $6.50). They make only one flavour, which is a good thing because that means no added sugary mixes to their brew. I liked its crisp, tangy flavour. Will buy again. Tonicka Kombuchawww.tonicka.com.auOn Facebook
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Product review: Coconut Magic raw energy bars
I get really excited when I see crap-free bars in supermarkets. I don’t eat them regularly because they’re still treats IMO, but it’s good to know they’re available for whenever I feel like having a healthier dessert. Coconut Magic is one of the newest brands in the market. The bars are non-GMO, vegan, and free of dairy, soy, gluten and refined sugar. They come in three flavours: coconut (dates, almonds, coconut, cashews, pecans, coconut chips, coconut flower nectar, coconut oil), cacao (dates, almonds, cashews, coconut, tahini, raw cacao powder, coconut oil, coconut nectar) and raspberry (dates, almonds, coconut, goji berries, cashews, raspberry powder, coconut nectar, coconut oil). Not surprisingly, my…
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Product review: Little Cossack water kefir
I had heard a lot about water kefir but couldn’t picture it in my head. For me, kefir had to be milky and with a consistency similar to yoghurt. It turns out water kefir is similar to kombucha: lightly fizzy and with a sourish flavour. This particular brand, however, was a lot sweeter than the kombuchas I’ve tried. The ingredients are: water, organic raw sugar, fresh organic ginger juice, organic ginger powder, organic black strap molasses, naturally made baking soda, kefir, infused with organic dried figs, and organic lemons. A 375 ml bottle ($5.60 regular price, $4.42 with discount at Dr Earth) has 33.5 grams of sugar! That’s what happens…
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Recipe: Cauliflower plov
My introduction to plov, a very simple dish made with rice, lamb and carrots, was in an Uygur restaurant in Sydney. Turns out this dish is traditional also in Uzbekistan and Siberia. I wanted to make a low carb version based on what I remembered from Kiroran Silk Road and my trip to Russia, plus a few recipes from the internet. The result? Well, cauliflower doesn’t absorb liquids as rice does, so it was soupier and less oily in appearance than the real deal. I also used a ton of grated carrots instead of chopped, which made it a bit too sweet for my taste. So I kinda failed in…
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Recipe: Chicken heart anticuchos
This is a tasty way to get more offal in your diet. Heart is a great source of iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which is fundamental for the electron transport chain of mitochondria (the energy-producing cells in your body). Get chicken hearts from pastured chickens if possible (Feather and Bone is a great source) and fire up your grill for this twist on classic Peruvian street food (the original version uses cow’s heart). If you’re not keen on eating heart you can try this version with kangaroo.
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Recipe: Lúcuma coconut mousse v2.0
This is a revamped version of the lúcuma coconut mousse I posted a while ago, this time with the added benefit of the probiotic cultures in CO YO and the collagen in gelatin.
